UR Experts Reflect on Major News Stories and Events in 2018

Faculty Members Available to Speak to the Media for Year-in-Review Stories

December 4, 2018

University of Richmond faculty experts are available to comment about some of the top news stories from 2018, including:

Changing Face of Retail
With bankruptcy news from two major retailers, Toys R Us and Sears, brick and mortar retail continues to face challenges while online and pop-up shops soar. A frequent contributor to national media, including The Washington Post, finance professor and retail expert Tom Arnold can discuss the changes we’ve seen in 2018, as well as trends for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Kavanaugh Confirmation and #MeToo Movement
Conservative judge Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court amid controversy about sexual assault allegations. Multiple harassment and assault allegations were also filed against powerful men, including actor Kevin Spacey and news anchor Tom Brokaw. Psychology professor Scott Allison, one of the editors of Leadership and Sexuality: Power, Principles, and Processes, can provide comments about the #MeToo movement. He has been quoted in The Washington Post.

Foreign Policy & Trade War
From the first North Korea-United States Summit to President Trump’s meeting with Putin to the U.S.-China Trade War, 2018 produced several major meetings and events related to foreign policy. Political science and international studies professor Stephen Long, an expert on international relations and American foreign policy, is available to discuss these and other foreign policy-related stories.

Mass Shootings & Youth Activism
In the deadliest ever high school shooting in the U.S., 17 people were killed in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14. This mass shooting, and others, including the shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct 27, have prompted activism, especially from teens. Political scientist Ernest McGowen is available to discuss how this activism will translate to the polls. He was interviewed about this topic for Voice of America.

Winter Olympics
The eyes of the world were on Pyeongchang, South Korea, the host country for the Winter Olympics. Law professor Andy Spalding, a leading expert on international anti-corruption laws, is chair of the Olympics Compliance Task Force, which is now focused on Paris2024. Spalding was interviewed about the Winter Olympics by numerous media outlets, including this interview with ABC 8 News, and he attended the Olympic Games for research.